Hi all this is my first post im just at the start of week 7 and i think my story might be a little different to some.

I started of with the Nicotene patch which seemed to give me a panic attack, well a really big nicotene intake lets put it that way. I gave up on that after 1 day they were the 21mg and i only smoked 10 a day on average stupid nurse but nevermind. Every ciggie i had after that made my head spin for about an hour then feel fine for an hour and then crave a ciggie so after a week i thought i might as well quit as its doing me no good still smoking.

After the first 3 days of hell it then seemed a bit better but then went into a second type stage which was more Anxiety and Depprestion it was as if there was nothing in my life i feared going out even going to work i used to enjoy my job but even now on week 7 it seems to be hard work leaving the house and going out to the shops, work or anything away from home. standing in line at checkouts and in crowded places are the worse or say waiting for a meal in a bar (which i have only done once) makes me full of fear and can not wait to get out of there. I am of course still going to work because i don`t want to give in but it seems to be getting harder im not sure.

It is very strange because i have traveled all accross the world only last year and was planning to do the same next year it was my dreams but now seems to be shattered and nothing to look foward to.

Sorry to be misrable just had to get it out as for craving a ciggie i do occasionaly but not really a physhical crave more "will smoking make me better" thought. Of course it won`t but i just want to get out of this rut.

Anyone else had similar problems?

Wish i knew how long they would last im sure all docs will say is its your unconsious mind, but what put them thoughts there???

Well going insaine lol. Talking seems to make it better, getting it of my chest i guess need to change my way of thinking which is hard for me because i never stop thinking!!!

4 Replies

I can relate very well to your story as I think I've been through pretty much what you described when I quit about three years ago. At the time I'd probably been quit for a few weeks and starting to feel what I can only describe as morbidly gloomy every day. I'd go in to work wondering how on earth I was going to get through the day. Where before I'd been competent and fairly diligent in my work I had no inclination to do it, zero motivation, but also my confidence had gone and with it my self esteem. To make matters worse, my sleep pattern was mullered and so I was probably only getting about three or four hours sleep per night. I'd make excuses to be out of the office just to avoid it being so obvious that I wasn't doing any work.

It seems bizarre now that It took me weeks to a) actually make a connection that this was quit smoking related and b) that these were classic symptoms of depression.

I came home that night and googled "quit smoking and depression" and unsurprisingly (now) realised that there was a strong correlation between the two. I think now I realise that I've probably always been prone to frequent bouts of mild but tolerable depression, but when I quit smoking it triggers a much deeper and very unpleasant bout - like it's impossible to feel any joy.

That realisation led me on to do some background into self medicating mild to moderate depression as I didn't want to go to the doctor. That in turn brought to my attention that St John's Wort has been available for some time otc and is quite widely used. In fact aparently in Germany SJW is prescribed more than Prozac for moderate depression. I got hold of some and started using it and things improved fairly quickly. Anecdotally it takes a few eeks to build up in the system, but i felt better in a few days.

Before quitting this time I started to take 3 SJW tablets (containing 900mcg hypericin) each morning and added one 5HTP tablet one hour before bedtime. The latter gives a serotonin boost at bedtime to improve quality of sleep. Both these products are available quite cheaply at healthspan.co.uk or at Herbal Shops. Both are considered fairly safe to use with low incidence of side effects. If you want to know anymore there is loads of info about SJW on the net including bulletin boards etc.

Forgot to add that this is my way of addressing this, the other which you touched on is to go and see your doc who is unlikely to dismiss it as being all in the mind and will probably know a good deal about the link between quitting smoking and depression.

The reason I didn't do this was mainly stupid pride at not being able to admit to my doc that I'd succumbed to depression and needed help and not wanting to be prescribed established drugs for depression.

Hello thanks for the promt reply it has perked me up somewhat and i will have a look at that website its good to know that i am not the only one going through this, I sometimes think to myself maybe if i have a ciggie i will feel better but looking at work all the people who have to stand in a red painted square to smoke it seems so stupid to start up after so long.

Don`t think i will see the doc though to me it is giving in to the problem, Although he could possibly help will wait and see today was a better day than this time last week. Think possitive its funny to think of us being drug addicts on ciggies but thats what we was the mere thought makes me scared and i guess thats why the side effects well will hopefully get better as time progress.